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• JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH
MINUTES
March 21, 2020
Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend WA 98368
Board Members Staff Members
Pamela Adams,Vice Chair,Port Townsend City Council Michael Dawson,Water Quality Manager
Greg Brotherton,County Commissioner,District#3 Vicki Kirkpatrick,Public Health Director
Kate Dean,County Commissioner District#1 Thomas Locke,Health Officer
Kees Kolff,Public Hospital District#2 Commissioner Apple Martine,Community Health Director
Denis Stearns,Citizen at large Pinky Mingo,Interim Env.Public Health Director
David Sullivan,County Commissioner,District#2 Veronica Shaw,Public Health Deputy Director
Sheila Westerman,Chair,Citizen at large
Chair Sheila Westerman called the March 19, 2020 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to
order at 2:30 p.m. A quorum was present.
Members Present: Pamela Adams, Greg Brotherton, Kate Dean, Kees Kolff, Denis Stearns, David
Sullivan, Sheila Westerman
Staff Present: Michael Dawson, Vicki Kirkpatrick, Thomas Locke, Apple Martine, Pinky Mingo
•
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chair Sheila Westerman asked for approval of the agenda for March 19, 2020.
Member Kees Kolff motioned to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair
Pamela Adams. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chair Sheila Westerman asked for approval of the minutes for the February 20, 2020. Chair Sheila
Westerman requested correction to where she was referred to as Vice Chair after nominated as Chair.
Vice Chair Pamela Adams motioned to approve the minutes as amended. The motion was seconded
by Member Kate Dean. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.
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PUBLIC COMMENTS
There was no public comment.
OLD BUSINESS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
1. Jefferson Healthcare Update
Member Kees Kolff reported on the success of the drive-in site for COVID testing at Jefferson Healthcare.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Environmental Health Update: Overview of the Key Proposed Changes to the On-site Sewage Code
and Improving the Process for Issuing Waivers
Pinky Mingo, Interim Environmental Health Director, reviewed developing the proposed changes to the
on-site sewage code. The areas proposed for revision include: 1)Adding a risk-based system to determine
if a system needs to be replaced and developing criteria for when a system needs to meet current code, 2)
extending repair waivers up to one year based on the public health risk, 3) developing a pathway for more
operations and monitoring specialists, 4) evaluating set-back waivers and class A treatment standards with
state requirements and evaluating how other counties interpret the Class A Treatment Standards, 5)
adopting a holding tank policy, 6) adopting an engineering scale for the universal site plan, and 7)
• addressing the gap created between the on-site sewage code and the recent passage of the Critical Areas
Ordinance. Philip Hunsucker, Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, explained how revisions to JCC
18.30.180 would address the gaps in coverage between the Critical Areas Ordinance and the current Board
of Health and Public Health efforts to revise Chapter 8.15 JCC during the regulatory reform process.
2. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency: Situation Update and Response Plan
Dr. Tom Locke, Health Officer, provided a brief chronology of COVID transmission since it was first
identified in China and clarified the difference between the virus (SARS-CoVI-2)the disease that it causes
(COVID-19). He said the three main problems in the U.S. during this pandemic have been lack of
adequate testing capacity, lack of personal protective equipment(PPE) for health care workers and first
responders, and dysfunctional federal leadership.
Dr. Locke explained the three phases of community exposure (pre-community spread, community spread
and recovery) and said Jefferson County is somewhere between the first and second phase, at this point in
time. He said the EOC and emergency management will be taking on more responsibilities as a broad-
based community response becomes necessary. Dr. Locke explained how an intensified community
mitigation strategy is effective in slowing transmission and keeping the number of cases within the surge
capacity of the health care system. Dr. Locke also said the most powerful tool to stop transmission is
isolation and quarantine and stressed the importance of public trust so guidelines and voluntary
recommendations are followed.
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•
, .
• Dr. Locke explained the role of the Board of Health and Local Health Officer and importance of properly
utilizing the role of the Health Officer. He said he has been working with the Department of Health and
other health officers with the goal of having one response plan or set of protocols at the state level.
Dr. Locke answered the Board's questions about testing capacity for large portions of the population,
testing results for asymptomatic individuals, immunity, vaccine production, virus mutation,possibility of
using more extreme forms of community mitigation, inter county travel and visitation, at risk populations,
use of routine screening and symptom check-lists, length of the current community mitigation strategy, in-
state manufacturing of PPE, and other related questions.
3. 2019-2020 Influenza Season Update
Dr. Locke said the rates of influenza are declining at a state level.
ACTIVITY UPDATE
Vicki Kirkpatrick, Director of Jefferson County Public Health,thanked Dr. Locke and the Communicable
Disease team at Public Health. Member Kees Kolff thanked the staff at Jefferson Healthcare.
PUBLIC COMMENT
• There was no public comment.
AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR
New Business Item 3. Climate Change and Public Health has been tentatively moved to the April BOH
meeting.
NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING
The next Board of Health meeting will be held online as a GoToMeeting on Thursday, April 16, 2020
from 2:30—4:30 p.m.
III
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• ADJOURNMENT
Chair Sheila Westerman adjourned the March 19,2020 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting
at 4:30 p.m.
JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH
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Sheila Westerman, Chair Kate Dean, Member
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Respectfully submitted
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